Ever since the lo-fi hip-hop beats craze began to really take off in the early 2010s, the genre—an undeniably modern movement grounded in a nostalgic aesthetic—has been a powerful force in almost every strain of popular music. From the wider hip-hop world to the pop mainstream to various indie scenes, its influence can be felt in a variety of ways.
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One artist who’s certainly embraced the style is electronic producer, multi-instrumentalist and composer, Deanna Devore. On July 29, she unveiled a new single: “Need To Know,” a downtempo, lo-fi-hip-hop-inspired bop featuring vocals from D.Lylez (who you might recognize from season 18 of The Voice).
“This song started out as a 1-minute beat I was making on Ableton Live in my home studio,” Devore explained. “I loved the vibe of it so much that I decided I wanted to make it into an actual song. I like the journey the song takes you on, and the hypnotic groove paired with D.Lylez’s dreamy vocals. I hope others like that journey element too.”
It’s true—D.Lylez’s pop-perfection vocal performance provides a breezy vibe that raises the overall tune to a higher level. With layers of glistening electric pianos, hazy counter-melodies, and grooving rhythms, the end product is something irresistibly chill. To that end, maybe part of the single’s “effortlessness” comes from the philosophy Devore takes to her craft.
“I write at my best when I’m not planning on writing,” she explained. “It really happens when I’m just playing around without any intention of having a song come out. And especially right now, I’m really into chill-hop/jazz-hop and lo-fi beats, so I just listen to a lot of that.”
Devore’s laid-back swagger and excellent skills as a producer come together to form something blissful with “Need To Know.” Dropping now, as summer is beginning to come to a close, she hopes the tune can be the perfect companion to kicking back and letting the load off.
“I would love people to be spinning this song in their car, during a summer night’s drive, or while they are decompressing at home after a long day,” she concluded.
Deanna Devore’s new single “Need To Know” featuring D.Lylez is out now—listen to it below:
